Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-10
INGALLS, CRITICS.

There has been much criticism of Senator
Ingalls, Abilene speech by several papers
of this state There was two ideas ad
vanced by the senator that seems to have
met with severe condemnation from these
critics. That is, that civil government is
founded on force, and that negro suffrage
has been failure 1t is undoubtedly the
right of the press to criticize the utteran-
ces of senator; and if he has made mis-
statement or taken false position, it is
their undoubted right to correct him and
show the untenable ground upon which he
stands If philosopher should say that
this earth is held together by attraction,
and some person were to exclaim: "Attrac-
ton! Attraction, Attraction! whether
the position of the philosopher is true
or false, such an answer would
not be an evidence of fairness or intelli-
gence on the part of the one making such
an objection to the statement Yet this is
about the manner in which Mr.. ingalls, is
being answered His statements are at
tempted to be held up to ridicule by papers
in this state, which ought to be proud of
the record of Senator ingalls,. If it is not
true as stated by Senator ingalls,, that civil
government is founded on force, why don't
the papers Directing to the statement, tell
us on what it is founded. The executive
branch of this government is physical
force The mayor Of city has at his
back Lis police force with their clubs.
Back of the governor is the entire MALTA
force of the state, and back of the presi-
dent of the United States is the army and
navy, all armed with guns that
are made to kill people This
is the physical force that is held
in reserve to be used when the laws of
this country are trampled under foot.
Blind Justice holding aloft n pair Of scales
is very fine sentiment, but policemen's
clubs and big guns are regarded with more
favor by statesmen, when there is dispo-
sition on the part of violators OF law to
question the rights and power of govern
ment As to Senator ingalls, other state
ment that negro suffrage is failure, the
papers which are making the howl know
very we'll, if they know anything, that
they are misrepresenting him. If it is not
a failure these same papers (many of them)
ought to be suppressed for willfuQ lying,
because they have been publishing to the
world for great number of years that the
colored vote in the south is suppressed by
force and fraud Suffrage for
newspaper editors would be a
failure if their votes were
not counted as is the case with black Re-
publicans in the south. These critics jump
at the conclusion that Mr. ingalls, meant
the negro was incompetent to exercise the
right of suffrage aud thereby greatly
please democrats. The Atlanta Constitu-
ton, a Democratic newspaper. says: Sen
ator ingalls,, notorious republica I, is lee
turing against negro suffrage ingalls, is
too late. Negro suffrage is fixed fact,
greatly TO the advantage of the Democratic
south And that is just what Mr.. ingalls,
meant by saying negro suffrage is failure.
The south has a representation in the lower
house of congress based on this colored
vote giving them large number Of add
tional votes in that body, but still they
suppress the colored vote.